Japanese

1965 Nissan Patrol

This 1965 Nissan Patrol is a left-hand drive, three-door example with an indicated 75k kilometers (~47k miles). Fewer than 3000 60-series Patrols officially made it to the US during the 1960s, though they were more common in South America. This one remained with its original owner in Bogotá, Colombia until coming to the US in 2010. The truck retains an unrestored 4.0L inline-six, 3-speed manual, and 4×4 system.

The soft-top Nissan Patrol 60 (two-door; 2,200 mm (86.6 in) wheelbase) and G60 (two-door; 2,500 mm (98.4 in) wheelbase) were first sold in Australia in 1960. Left-hand drive L60/GL60 models were sold outside of Australia.
US customers could only get Patrols from 1962 until 1969. Patrols were sold through Datsun dealerships, making it at the time the only Nissan-badged vehicles sold in the United States until the early 1980s when the Datsun marque was being phased out.
The 4WD Nissan Patrol 60 series was produced in short, medium and long wheel-base versions. It had a manual transmission type-F3B83L at first with three and later with four speeds, two-speed transfer case with part-time four-wheel drive. The motor was the P engine, a 3,956 cc (241.4 cu in) inline overhead-valve six-cylinder

With two doors in front and one at the back and four seats (driver, and companion in front, two parallel back seats), the extra long wheelbase version (the H60) was available with eight-passenger capacity.

We have another Patrol that turned into a full restoration. We missed the car so this one was purchased to fill it’s place until the restoration is done.

1989 Nissan Pao

The Nissan Pao is a retro-styled three-door hatchback manufactured by Nissan for model years 1989-1991, and originally marketed solely in Japan.

The Pao was available with or without a textile sun roof and was originally marketed without Nissan branding, by reservation only from January 15 through April 14, 1989. Orders were delivered on a first come-first served basis, with the production run of 51,657 selling out in 3 months.

Because of its origins at Pike Factory, Nissan’s special project group, the Pao — along with theNissan Figaro, Be-1 and S-Cargo— are known as Nissan’s “Pike cars.”

Part of Nissan’s “Pike” series, it was designed as a retro fashionable city car in the mold of the Be-1. It included external door hinges like the original 1960s Austin Mini which had become fashionable in Japan, ‘flap-up’ windows like those of a Citroën 2CV, and a split rear tailgate of the first British hatchback car the Austin A40 Farina Countryman.

This car has automatic, factory AC, power steering and brakes. It’s not very fast but more than makes up for it in style.

1991 Acura NSX

This 1991 Acura NSX has 23k miles and is finished in Berlina Black with Ivory interior. This example was with the previous owner for over 20 years. It is one of 525 cars delivered to the US in this color combination during the first model year. It features a semi-monocoque body, extruded alloy frame and suspension components, and an all-aluminum 3.0 liter VTEC V6 paired with a 5-speed manual. The car carried a $62k MSRP when new and has been kept mechanically and cosmetically stock throughout.

1967 Toyota S800

The Toyota Sports 800 is Toyota Motor Corporation’s first production sports car. The prototype for the Sports 800, called the Toyota Publica Sports, debuted at the 1962 Tokyo Auto Show, featuring a space age sliding canopy and utilizing the 28 hp power train of the Toyota Publica 700, a Japanese market economy car. The Toyota Sports 800 is affectionately called the “Yota-Hachi”, which is a Japanese short form for “Toyota 8”.

The car had aerodynamic styling by Shozo Sato, a designer on loan from Datsun, and Toyota engineer Tatsuo Hasegawa. Hasegawa had been an aircraft designer in World War II and the resulting Sports 800 was a lightweight and agile machine.The Sports 800 was one of the first production cars featuring a lift-out roof panel, or targa top, pre-dating the Porsche Targa. The aluminum targa top could be stored in the trunk, when not in use.
Between 1965 and 1969 approximately 3,131 units were built by Toyota subcontractor Kanto Auto Works. Only about 10% of those vehicles are known to have survived, most being in Japan. Production Tables show 1,235 cars manufactured in 1965, 703 in 1966, 538 in 1967, 440 in 1968, and 215 in 1969.

The vast majority of the 3,131 cars were right hand drive, but some 300 were left hand drive models, built primarily for the Okinawa market. (Okinawa, having been American occupied, drove on the “other side” from the rest of Japan.) A very limited number of left hand drive cars were used by Toyota to “test drive” in the US, but Toyota made a decision not to import or sell the cars in the US market.

Weight was kept down by using aluminum on selected body panels and thin steel on the unibody construction. For the first few years of production even the seat frames were made of aluminum.

The Toyota S800 is the little brother to the 2000GT. Mike has always found them a must have for the micro car collection. He dreamed of pairing the 2000 GT & the S800 together in the museum. There are many RHD examples around but few good LHD for sale.

Rich Street referred the seller of this one to Mike.Rich specializes in parts and is a go to guy for these cars. He has parts and knows where the great examples hide.

Besides having the rare working gas heater, this car also has a working original radio. These are rare options.

Chris Hill from Autodino in Kansas did the mechanical restoration. He specializes in Ferarri restorations.

1964 Datsun 1500 Fairlady

A series of roadsters produced by Nissan in the 1960s, this series was a predecessor to the Z-car in the Fairlady line, and offered an inexpensive alternative to the European MG and Triumph sports cars. The line began with the 1959 “S211” and continued through 1970 with the “SP311” and “SR311” line.

1959 Datsun 221 Pickup

In November 1957, Datsun introduced the type 220 pickup truck, the second generation of its pickup series as the successor to the 120 series. The type 220 was produced from 1957 to 1961. During this time four models were produced: 220 (1957-1958), 221 (1959-1960), 222 (1960), and 223 (1961). The chassis was based on the 210 sedan series. The bottom of the cargo section on the 221 ends just below the height of the wheel, on the 222 a small skirt section has been added. The 221 was available with either a 1000 or 1200 engine. Side mounted badges in the vehicle say DATSUN 1000. There is a round badge in the center of the dashboard that says DATSUN 1000, or on the 1200 version these badges all say Datsun 1200. This 221 Datsun pickup is a 1000cc model with a Nissan C OHV 4 cylinder motor that puts out 37 horsepower. This quarter-ton pickup was one of only ten models that were first sold in the US as a test series for the American market. There are only couple of these 59’s known have survived, and this one is believed to be the only restored one in existence. This truck deserves some credit for being one of the founding fathers of the Japanese compact pickup line in the America.

1970 Honda 600

The N600 was produced from 1967 to 1972. It was introduced to the USA in 1969 as a 1970 model, and was the first Honda automobile to be officially imported to the United States. It was technologically advanced for its time, with an all alloy engine that could achieve 9000 rpm. Engine output was 36–45 hp (27–34 kW) and the N600 was capable of 81 mph (130 km/h). It delivered surprisingly peppy performance because of its lightweight (around 550 kg/1100 pounds), due to compact dimensions and its utilization of plastic parts (such as the boot lid). The first brakes were very weak, despite having front disks and power assist. Rear suspension was a dead axle on leaf springs. US sales stopped in 1972, as it was replaced for the sportier Honda Z600 after about 25,000 had been sold there. However shortly after, the Z600 was also replaced, as the first generation Honda Civic proved to be something a little more suited to the American Interstate system. Nonetheless, in recent both of these little Honda shave been becoming more collectible. This maybe some coincidence as the N600 has been known for being called the Fu Gui, meaning ‘Wealth’ in Chinese.

1968 Honda S 800 Coupe

The S800 is a sports car from Honda produced from 1966–1970. Introduced at the 1965 Tokyo Motor Show, the S800 would replace the successful Honda S600 as the company’s image car and would compete with the Austin-Healey Sprite, MG Midget, Triumph Spitfire and Fiat 850 Spider. The 791 cc straight-4 engine produced 70 hp (52 kW) at 8000 rpm, thus making this Honda’s first 100 mph (160 km/h) automobile, but still allowing for 35 mpg (6.7 L/100 km). In April 1967 the car was described as the fastest production 1-litre car in the world thanks to its high revving engine (up to 10,000 rpm) and the manufacturer’s history of manufacturing powerful relatively low capacity motorcycle engines.

1991 Nissan Figaro

The Figaro was introduced at the 1989 Tokyo Motor Show under the slogan “Back to the Future”. The name references the title character in the play The Marriage of Figaro by Pierre Beaumarchais.

Based on the Nissan Micra, the Figaro was built at Aichi Machine Industry, a special projects group which Nissan would later call “Pike Factory,” which also produced three other niche automobiles: the Be-1, Pao and S-Cargo.

As a fixed-profile convertible, the upper side elements of the Figaro’s bodywork remain fixed, while its fabric soft top retracts to provide a less fully open experience than a typical convertible. The fixed-profile concept is seen on other convertibles, including the Citroën 2CV (1948–1990)

The car was equipped with leather seats, air conditioning, CD player and a fixed-profile slide-back open roof. 8000 were originally available with an additional 12,000 added to production numbers to meet demand. Prospective purchasers entered a lottery to purchase a Figaro. Limited edition cars came with passenger side baskets and cup holders.

1967 Mazda Cosmo Sport

The Mazda Cosmo Sport (sold overseas as the 110S) – the world’s first volume production sports car powered by a rotary engine – was unveiled to the public at the Tokyo Motor Show in October 1963. When the president of Mazda, Tsuneji Matsuda, drove the prototype into show venue it was a surprise to everyone. The Mazda Cosmo Sport featured beautiful, futuristic proportions and exceptional driving performance. It was a vehicle that clearly deserved the comment, “More like flying than driving.”

Rotary engine development began at Mazda in 1961, and for the next six years presented nothing but problems and setbacks. The most serious of which was the appearance of chatter marks on the inner walls of the rotor housing. These marks were known to Mazda engineers as “nail marks of the Devil” and always appeared after a certain period of operation. After many trials, the engineers finally conquered this difficult problem by developing seals made of high-strength carbon infused with aluminum, and the Mazda rotary engine was born. As other automakers steadily abandoned the rotary engine, Mazda succeed in its commercialization. The Mazda Cosmo Sport was born from Mazda’s tenacity and passion for rotary engine development.

The Mazda Cosmo Sport was eventually launched on May 30, 1967.
It was a real breakthrough for sports cars, reaping the benefits of a rotary engine with 491cc x 2 capacity, maximum power of 110ps, top speed of 185 km/h, a quarter-mile (400m) time of 16.3 seconds and low, flowing styling. At the time, the Mazda Cosmo Sport was the only sports car of its kind, and sold around 30 units per month. The Cosmo Sport also enjoyed success in international motorsport.

1964 Mazda R360

The Mazda R360 is a kei car that was produced by Mazda. It was Mazda’s first real car – a two-door, four-seat coupé. Introduced in 1960, it features a short 69 inch wheelbase and weighs just 838 lb. It is powered by a rear-mounted air-cooled 356 cc V-twin engine putting out about 16 hp and 16 lb·ft of torque. The car is capable of about 52 mph. It has a 4-speed manual transmission. The suspension, front and rear, is rubber “springs” and torsion bars.

Within a few years of introducing the R360, Mazda had captured much of the lightweight (kei car) market in Japan. Production of the R360 lasted for six years.

1972 Suzuki LJ20 Jimny

This 1972 Suzuki LJ20 “Jimny” was restored in 2010. This second series example features a water-cooled 360cc two-stroke twin, four speed manual transmission and two-speed transfer case. It drives very well, draws lots of attention, and sounds like a dirt bike.

Jimnys were not officially imported to the US by Suzuki, and about 800 were instead brought to the US by IEC. As the US did not enforce Kei length restrictions, this truck has the spare wheel mounted outside the tailgate rather than behind the seats. Overall length is just over nine feet. The seller states that the roll bar appears correct for the truck, though it is not a factory piece. The Safari top and cargo area cover are likewise not stock. The grille sports eight vertical slats; one more than the Jeeps the Jimny was modeled after. The Suzuki name is stamped fully through the grille.

Power comes from a water-cooled 360cc two stroke parallel twin that was rated at around 25 horsepower when new. It is backed by a 4-speed manual transmission with a top speed of around 45 miles per hour.

1970 Datsun 240z

The 1970 240Z was introduced to the American market by Yutaka Katayama, president of Nissan Motors USA operations, widely known as “Mr. K”. The 1970 through the mid-1971 model year 240Z was referred to as the Series I. These early cars had many subtle but notable features differing from later cars. The most easily visible difference is that these early cars had a chrome “240Z” badge on the sail pillar, and two horizontal vents in the rear hatch below the glass molding providing flow through ventilation. In mid-1971, for the Series II 240Z-cars, the sail pillar emblems were restyled with just the letter “Z” placed in a circular vented emblem, and the vents were eliminated from the hatch panel of the car. Design changes for the US model 240Z occurred throughout production, including interior modifications for the 1972 model year, and a change in the location of the bumper over-riders, as well as the addition of some emission control devices and the adoption of a new style of emissions reducing carburetors for the 1973 model year.

The 1970 models were introduced in October 1969, received the L24 2.4-liter engine with a manual choke and a four-speed manual. A less common three-speed automatic transmission was optional from 1971 on, and had a “Nissan full automatic” badge.
This 1970 Datsun 240Z is powered by a numbers-matching inline-six paired with a 4-speed manual transmission. It is said to be unmodified, and stayed with its original owner until 1985. The third owner, a collector and Z Club of America member, purchased the car in 1989 and kept it until last year. Since acquiring it three months ago, the selling dealer has corrected a poor paint blend on the left rear quarter. This Z has retained the original books, manuals, tool kit, accessory lights, and a selection of old service records and titles.

The early-style hatch features vertical defrosters and small vents below the rear window. Correct US market lighting is fitted, including side markers front and rear.

The upholstery, interior panels, steering wheel, seats, and radio are all described to be original, though the seat padding is beginning to age. Per the seller, the seat vinyl shows minimal wear. The interior features are said to work correctly, including the radio, power antenna and clock. The odometer shows 31,140 miles, and is believed to be accurate based on the service records available.

2017 Acura NSX

Assembled at Acura’s high-performance plant in Marysville, Ohio, the NSX chassis uses space-age combinations of ultra-high-strength steel and very lightweight aluminum, married to a largely aluminum body, driven by a hybrid drivetrain with a 3.5-liter, twin-turbo V-6 engine and three direct-drive electric motors.

Through a nine-speed dual-clutch transmission and the NSX’s “sport hybrid super handling AWD,” those attributes make a combined 573 horsepower and 476 pound-feet of torque, on a vehicle that weighs just over 3,800 pounds. The result is Zero to 60 mph in under three seconds with a reported top speed of 191 mph.

1970 Datsun 240z Factory resto

In 1996, production of the Z32 300ZX was coming to a close, and the word at the time was that its successor would be a couple of years away. This news was not received very well in the USA, which historically was the biggest market for the Zed car, since the very first S30 series 240Z in the early 70s. Little did they know that the 350Z was actually another 6yrs away. Nissan of North America decided to do something to keep the flame burning until the new car showed up. They would restore, and sell 240Z as brand new cars again, with a new car warranty. 10 dealers would be selected to be “Z Stores”, and having brand new 240Zs on the showroom floor would bring in valuable traffic.

Old 240Zs would be found and stripped to bare shells, and then repainted. The interiors would be fitted out with the last of Nissan’s new old stock of carpets, seats, dashes, and that odd diamond pattern quilted vinyl padding over the trans tunnel. If parts were no longer available then a new run of reproduction parts would be commissioned. Drivetrains and running gear would be restored to new, and the cars were offered for sale for US$25,000. Although Nissan were not shy about admitting that each car cost more like $35,000 to restore. Buyers would get a 120,000 mile, one year Nissan new car warranty. The other difference is a small sticker on the quarter window and an emblem on the center console designating it as an official Nissan refurbished Z.

All of the “Vintage Z” cars would be built to 1972 USDM specification, which meant that they could have the hi compression, JDM-spec 150hp motor and JDM style bumpers. The 1973 USDM 240Z had lower compression for 135hp and had to carry heavier 5mph impact bumpers, and so the 1972 USDM spec was considerably more desirable. All the cars were built by Pierre’s Z Shop in southern California. The only deviations to original factory spec were non-asbestos linings for the clutch and brakes, and an upgraded radiator (to solve the 240Z’s main flaw, which was overheating in summer traffic).

The very first Vintage Z rolled out in April 1997, but the reality was that Pierre Perot’s shop could only restore about one Zed a month, and so the entire production run was sold out years before the last of the Vintage Z’s were finished. Each car has a special numbered plaque on the transmission tunnel, and the run ended at 37 cars. Many ended up right back in Japan. Nissan kept 2 cars for its own collection.